Satish Kaushik
pic credit : internet (https://g.co/kgs/3xwSFd)
We remember Satish Kaushik with his twinkly eyes that made us laugh out loud so many times over the years. He passed away at the age of 66 in Gurugram. As usual, some controversies surround the circumstances of his death. However, as I delve into my memories of the man who I knew for almost every year of my life, there is a veritable stream of fans and colleagues out to get their last darshan, showing condolences across all social platforms.
‘Hamara father north Indian, hamara mother south Indian, isliye hum complete Indian’. Saajan Chale Sasural, 1996 ‘
Aye tamatar ke aakhri daane, aye amavas ke chamakte chaand’. Deewana Mastana, 1997
These dialogues, both from popular David Dhawan films, were delivered by the inimitable Satish Kaushik. They could easily have been put in the mouth of any of the large roster of comics who were part of Dhawan movies, starting with Govinda and going on to Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Satish Shah, Johnny Lever, and so on. But Kaushik brought to those corny lines a complete commitment to the broad comedy required to pull the corny lines off, as well as a smiley self-awareness of the genre, and that’s what made those lines memorable.
As an alumnus of Delhi’s Kirori Mal College, which he joined to do theatre with its well-known group 'The Players,' he went on to the National School of Drama (NSD). His dream was to become an actor. But "that boy from Karol Bagh who came to Mumbai's maya nagri with 800 rupees in his pocket," as he often described himself, became much more: a dialogue writer, director, producer, and all-around entertainer.
But because laughter remained his best medicine, his ability to be much more versatile was first tapped by a film made in the West (Brick Lane, directed by Sarah Gavron, adapted from a novel of the same name by Monica Ali, 2007), in which he plays a London-based middle-aged man married to an unhappy much younger woman. I remember being struck by the sensitivity he brought to that complex role and wondering when the Hindi film industry would give him parts with more heft.
What was strikingly different about Kaushik from those of the other popular comedians he worked with was that he managed to broaden his slate very early on. From being an assistant director, he leapt straight into directing what was then the most expensive film in Bollywood, 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' (1993), also starring Anil-Sridevi, and produced by Boney Kapoor. Although it became one of the most expensive duds in Bollywood history, it was balanced a whole decade later when Kaushik directed Salman Khan's 'Tere Naam' (2003), whose huge success gave the star a new lease of life in Bollywood.
In the last few years, with the rise of web series, Satish Kaushik finally began to get the roles he deserved. One such role was the foul-mouthed moneybag Manu Mundra in Hansal Mehta’s ‘Scam 92’. Although it was not a big part, Kaushik's portrayal of malice and greed made his character stand out. His recent performances in ‘Sharmaji Namkeen’, ‘Chhatriwali’, and ‘Thar’ were the highlights of those films and each character was dramatically different from the others. It makes one wonder if there would have been more such roles where his versatility could have shone.
These dialogues, both from popular David Dhawan films, were delivered by the inimitable Satish Kaushik. They could easily have been put in the mouth of any of the large roster of comics who were part of Dhawan movies, starting with Govinda and going on to Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Satish Shah, Johnny Lever, and so on. But Kaushik brought to those corny lines a complete commitment to the broad comedy required to pull the corny lines off, as well as a smiley self-awareness of the genre, and that’s what made those lines memorable.
As an alumnus of Delhi’s Kirori Mal College, which he joined to do theatre with its well-known group 'The Players,' he went on to the National School of Drama (NSD). His dream was to become an actor. But "that boy from Karol Bagh who came to Mumbai's maya nagri with 800 rupees in his pocket," as he often described himself, became much more: a dialogue writer, director, producer, and all-around entertainer.
But because laughter remained his best medicine, his ability to be much more versatile was first tapped by a film made in the West (Brick Lane, directed by Sarah Gavron, adapted from a novel of the same name by Monica Ali, 2007), in which he plays a London-based middle-aged man married to an unhappy much younger woman. I remember being struck by the sensitivity he brought to that complex role and wondering when the Hindi film industry would give him parts with more heft.
What was strikingly different about Kaushik from those of the other popular comedians he worked with was that he managed to broaden his slate very early on. From being an assistant director, he leapt straight into directing what was then the most expensive film in Bollywood, 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' (1993), also starring Anil-Sridevi, and produced by Boney Kapoor. Although it became one of the most expensive duds in Bollywood history, it was balanced a whole decade later when Kaushik directed Salman Khan's 'Tere Naam' (2003), whose huge success gave the star a new lease of life in Bollywood.
In the last few years, with the rise of web series, Satish Kaushik finally began to get the roles he deserved. One such role was the foul-mouthed moneybag Manu Mundra in Hansal Mehta’s ‘Scam 92’. Although it was not a big part, Kaushik's portrayal of malice and greed made his character stand out. His recent performances in ‘Sharmaji Namkeen’, ‘Chhatriwali’, and ‘Thar’ were the highlights of those films and each character was dramatically different from the others. It makes one wonder if there would have been more such roles where his versatility could have shone.
#satish #satishkaushik #death #remembring
